Manager, Veterinary Services (Surgery)

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV), a privately funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit, has been serving people and pets in Silicon Valley since 1929. HSSV is a leader in animal welfare through our lifesaving efforts, community programs, and the many ways we are working to move the animal welfare industry forward. Our mission is to save lives, keep families together, and create a better future for pets and their people.

We are a passionate, high-performing team who believes that collaboration is key to our success. Our best work is achieved by leveraging each other’s strengths and creating opportunities for professional growth. Join a team that focuses on our key values of kindness, courage, and impact!

 

Overview

The Manager, Veterinary Services plays a key role in delivering world-class medical services and programs encompassing animals in our shelter and community. This individual will manage a team of veterinary support staff, including RVTs, veterinary assistants, students, and volunteers, in our state-of-the-art facility providing the highest standard of care. With a focus on delivering on organizational and departmental strategy and initiatives, driving productivity improvements, and identifying areas of opportunity and resource investments, this individual is passionate about operational and people excellence, takes a creative and innovative look towards challenges, and excels in day-to-day operations.

HSSV performs 8,000 spays and neuters per year, hundreds of orthopedic and soft tissue procedures, including oral surgery, and dentistry. The focus for this core service area is managing surgery-processes and capacity for the main Peter Detkin and Michelle Oates Detkin Animal Care Center, the Community Pet Clinic, and the Wellness Wagon mobile programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Promote a work environment that encourages high-quality service, accountability, communications, resiliency, employee empowerment, innovation, and teamwork.

• Develop a culture of learning and feedback by implementing on-going skill-building for staff to support professional development and maintain safe working conditions.
• Collaborate with Medical management team and cross-functional groups to drive strategic priorities, best practices, and daily workflow.
• Build innovative and scalable onsite and offsite surgical programs.
• Manage surgical capacity with the needs of the shelter.
• Maintain efficient High Quality High Volume Spay Neuter practices and processes.
• Ensure medical software systems are fully utilized and drive department efficiencies.

• Establish metrics and reports to analyze activities and programs; proactively monitor and share critical data in conjunction with capacity management and animal flow efforts.
• Handle all animals safely and humanely using proper restraint and low-stress handling techniques; model best practices and hold staff and volunteers accountable for the same.
• Support staff with scheduling, timecard management, and time off requests.
• Partner with the Volunteer Department to ensure volunteer recruitment needs are met and supervise volunteers assigned to the department.
• Other job duties may be assigned as needed.

Requirements

This individual is passionate about operational excellence, takes a creative and innovative problem-solving approach to challenges, adapts to the changing needs of the community, and excels in day-to-day operations. Besides flexibility and the ability to operate successfully in a highly-collaborative environment, this opportunity requires:

 

• Experience working in a cross-functional environment in an animal shelter or veterinary clinic management role leading staff and/or volunteers.
• Solid foundation and knowledgebase with animal related operations, programs, and policies.
• (Use for Surgery role only) Knowledge and experience in High Quality High Volume Spay Neuter processes and workflow.
• Understanding the concepts of active population management and capacity for care, and data-driven decision making.
• Flexibility in learning new techniques/skills to meet growing and changing community needs.
• Excellent fear-free animal handling skills including fearful or aggressive animals specifically in relation to canines and felines.
• Effective problem-solving and decision-making capabilities with strong initiative to strive for results and growth; resiliency and ability to adapt to different environments essential.
• Passionate about animal welfare and making a difference in the community; able to work in an emotional field where a positive attitude and empathy are essential. 
• Outstanding interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build trust, engage internal and external audiences, and influence outcomes with stakeholders.  
• Experience with the use of spreadsheets, MS Office and Outlook, shelter management databases, and veterinary practice management systems (Shelter Buddy and/or Vetter a plus).
• RVT certification a plus but not required.
• Ability to lift and carry weights of up to 50lbs, with assistance, from floor to waist level. Ability to kneel on the floor, bend at the waist, reach forward and rotate the upper body. Sit/stand for sustained periods of time. Walk on wet or dry surfaces. Work both indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions during both daylight and after dark. Frequent exposure to loud noise, odors, and chemicals. Exposure to animals with unknown history and behaviors.

 

Our benefits are more than any program can offer – the biggest value you will experience on the HSSV team is making a difference. In addition to a variety of health, welfare, retirement, time off benefits and staff discounts, you will hone your skills and learn new ones with paid training through our investment in your professional development. 

Work Days and Hours

This is a full-time opportunity. Hours are flexible and based on organizational need. Will include one weekend day. This position requires rotating coverage of holidays and may require occasional rotating after-hours emergency on-call phone shifts.

 

Candidate Tip

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